Let It Snow
by the.yellow.bug
Summary: A short family!fluff about the first Christmas they Charming family has after the curse broke.


It was almost 5 AM, the snow fell quietly outside, and on the window's glass a frostwork glittered in the subdued light. Charming and Snow had been up all night trying to decorate the small apartment with festoon, mistletoe and small socks. And of course, most importantly, set up the Christmas tree. The tricky part was doing all this without Emma or Henry noticing anything.

"Charming, the lights aren't working... Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course I know," Charming mumbled. Snow glanced at him with a disbelieving look, but before she could say anything more a quiet cough interrupted their work.

Emma stood behind them with a smile that was both amused, disapproving and surprised. "I see you guys have been busy..."

Snow threw her husband a worried look before turning to face her daughter. Her mouth opened and spilled out a flood of words. "Look... I know we agreed to keep it simple, but it's our very first Christmas together, it's worth celebrating and you'd get presents too and Henry would love it and..."

Emma quickly cut her sentence off. "Hey. It's okay." A shy smile widened on her face and with a little blush she said, "I actually kinda like it." She pointed at the half-decorated tree and saw how her father's eyes filled with happiness.  
"You do?" Charming asked seemingly wanting to jump of joy.

"Yeah." Emma admitted. "And I know I wasn't supposed to find my present and open it..."She pointed at herself. She was wearing a red hand-knitted sweater with a snowflake on the front side of it. "...but I did. And I was cold and I though you guys wouldn't mind if I pulled it on…. I'd get it within a few hours anyway..."

Both of her parents smiled warmly and Snow nodded. Her voice filled with self-satisfaction and she added, "But don't think that's the only present you're going to get."

Emma threw her a disapproving look, but a smirk appeared on her face as she said "Wait till you see what I've got for the two of you." She winked with a knowing look on her face.

The couple exchanged a bushed look, Snow turned to her daughter, but the blonde let out a short laugh. "Oh, no. You're not gonna make me tell you anything before it's time. So don't even look at me… No, I said it'll be a surprise!" She tried to protest, but Snow seemed determined to figure out what the present was. "David! Give me that, you're doing it all wrong." She took the Christmas lights out of Charming's hands and with a big laugh she ran to the other side of the room, as far from her likewise giggling mother.

* * *

They've decorated for a while, when Charming started humming something, which became singing after a few seconds. "Let it Snow, let it Snow, let it Snow..."

Emma stared at him with an_ "oh no you did not"_ face. Snow on the other hand seemed to enjoy it and said "Oh, how charming..."

She felt one of Emma's sarcastic faces on her as well, but asked innocently "What...?"

"I can't believe you guys…" Emma laughed.

* * *

Half an hour passed slowly, leaving Emma with her thoughts while she put the gifts under the tree. It was now fully decorated and even though felt a little kitschy, she liked it.

She never had a Christmas like this. She never really had a Christmas to begin with.

But this – all of this – was worth waiting for. Her eyes became teary and she stood up. Her parents were putting decorations over the chimney when she walked to them and swarmed them in a hug. They both stood frozen, completely caught off guard and exchanged a look between each other. None of them understood why Emma acted so strangely.

"Merry Christmas," Emma whispered to their shoulder, but after a few seconds they turned and embraced her back with such enthusiasm it made her laugh while crying.

"It's merry alright. We have the best present we could ever ask for. _You_ are our true present," Snow whispered back and Charming gave the blonde a kiss on her forehead, seemingly unable to speak.

Emma forced herself not to sob out loud, and thought how they have been hers. Her mother, her father, her son... she had never had a Christmas present before. Not once. But this made up for every year, every moment she'd felt alone.

This gift was the only thing she needed. The gift of having a family.


End file.
